1. Project description

Unsafe and insufficient quantity of drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and unimproved hygiene account for 7% of the global disease and 19% of child mortality worldwide. Moreover, the knowledge and practice of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) is still poor in secondary level students of Nepal. There is a need to impart WASH education in children who can be effective advocates in outreaching families and wider communities.

Project purpose

The overall purpose of the project is to promote health and education benefits through the implementation of proper sanitation and hygiene campaign. It focuses on the theme of safe drinking water, personal/ hand hygiene, and menstrual hygiene management. Through the integration of knowledge and life-skill-based education, we intend to enable children and the community to make an informed decisions.

Activities plan

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the implementation of the project has been a challenge. As per the Government of Nepal’s notice, training or seminars in-person is not allowed. Considering the health and safety protocol, we plan to carry out the following activities:

1. Developing menstrual hygiene management (MHM) education material.
2. Capacity building in school students through online platforms. We also intend to raise an awareness campaign in the community through female community health volunteer’s which will be carried out once the COVID situation improves.

• Drinking water quality (microbial) test using Rapid Coliform Test Kit (RCTK).
• Implementing WASH club in schools

3. Conducting promotional events in the form of virtual competition to disseminate the outcomes of the project in the school.

1. Project progress

Describe the details you did relate to your project including the preparation process so far.
*Details about Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How

Following the COVID-19 restrictions, Kathmandu Valley was under lockdown because of which we organized most of our meetings and program through virtual platform.

1. Conduction of talk program

On May 27, 2021, a talk program titled“Menstrual Hygiene Management: Status, Challenges, and Gap in Nepal” was organized on a virtual platform. The main objective of the program was to highlight the status of menstrual hygiene, the challenges in policy, societal perspective, and discuss the possible interventions. More than 60 participants registered for the program. The program was chaired by Er. Ganesh Shah, former minister of the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology, stressed the need for awareness on menstrual hygiene as it impacts health as well. The key speakers (listed below) in the program were professionals from government, NGO, and social entrepreneur backgrounds who are actively advocating for sustainable menstrual hygiene management.

Bharat Adhikari, community and capacity development expert, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Fund Development Board (RWSSFDB)presented the cultural significance and societal perspective on menstruation in Nepal. Mr. Adhikari highlighted the role of male members and educated people to advocate dignified menstrual hygiene and trigger behavior change in the community. He further related menstrual hygiene with other sustainable development goals (SDG 3, 4, 5, 6, 8).

Priti Sharma, program specialist, VSO Nepal presented the restrictions that menstruating women face in society not only in rural areas but also in urban areas. Moreover, the practice of the Chhaupadi system affects the health, dignity, mental health, and even the life of menstruating women. Ms. Sharma also highlighted national policies, programs, and progress to create dignified menstruation.

Shubhangi Rana, co-founder, Pad2go, presented the approach of Pad2go:providing affordable and accessible sanitary pads, awareness and advocacy, and sanitary facilities. She further stressed the need of VAT exemption on all menstrual products so that it is accessible even to low income families. She also highlighted the need to discuss inclusive menstruation that includes differently-abled, transgender men, menopause, and the Dalit community.

Poor menstrual hygiene practice has an impact on the education, health, environment, and overall socio-economic development of a country. As a way forward, collaboration and co-operation between different institutions (NGOs, in-line ministries, social enterprises) are crucial to bringing a positive change from ground to policy level through a holistic approach.

1. Selection of schools and FCHV’s

A total of 3 schools (1 public and 2 private) have been selected for the orientation and training program.However, the number of students from each school is yet to be finalized as the new session started in mid-June. Also, the number of students attending classes through online platforms is low.  Besides the schools, a group of FCHV’s in Kathmandu valley have also been selected to conduct the training program.

• Developing MHM educational materials

Based on the desk review and discussion from the talk program, team NawaPaila made content for the pamphlets and poster focusing on menstrual hygiene management. The poster provides information on current status, relevant policies and government’s initiatives to promote dignified menstrual hygiene.

1. Project plan

Describe your plan for the time remaining. Any improvements, cautions, and expectations for future activities.

1. Conducting training programs

Students from classes 6 to 10 from the selected schools will be provided with the training programs via an online platform. The program schedule has already been designed and circulated to the respective schools. The information and education materials (IEC) will be distributed to the school.

For the FCHV’s, it is challenging to conduct an online training program because most of them do not have access to the internet or the computer. Therefore, depending upon the situation, we plan to conduct this training program in person.

1. Testing drinking water quality through rapid coliform test kit.

A rapid coliform test kit will be distributed to the FCHV’s and the school students to assess the quality of drinking water. This will also help them to understand the importance of testing water quality.

• Conducting online competition among school children

At the end of the program, an online competition (drawing/ essay writing) will be organized among the participating schools. In the event, all the beneficiaries (school children, teachers, and community clubs) and the relevant stakeholders (government agencies, INGOs, private companies) will be invited. Moreover, a video showcasing the journey of the campaign will also be presented.

The pictures from the meeting with sanitation professionals, the talk program and team members follow:

















The pictures of the pamphlet designed on MHM follow:















The picture of the poster designed on MHM follows: